Injection tracking and management system

Abstract

An automated drug administering system such an injection device or infusion pump is provided with means for reading information from a container holding the drug. The information is then checked for accuracy before the administration of the drug. Optionally, an ID tag on the patient and/or the health care professional providing the drug may also be scanned and checked. The information thus gathered is sent to another station where it is logged for future use and analyzed.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An automated administering device adapted to deliver a drug from a container having a machine readable label to a patient comprising: 
 a holder adapted to hold said controller;    a motor coupled to said holder and adapted to deliver said drug from said container to the patient;    a controller coupled to said motor and arranged to selectively activate said motor; and    a scanner coupled to said controller and arranged to read identification information associated with said drug from said container, said controller operating in accordance with said information.    
     
     
         2 . The device of    claim 1    further comprising an interface adapted to receive further information regarding the drug delivery, said controller being adapted to compare said identification information with said further information for determining if the administration of the drug is allowable.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein said controller is adapted to receive patient information.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of    claim 3    wherein said controller is adapted to receive said patient information through said scanner.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of    claim 2    wherein said controller is adapted to receive information associated with the person operating the device.  
     
     
         6 . A method of administering a drug to a patient using an automated drug administering device with means adapted to obtain electronic information comprising the steps of: 
 scanning information from a container holding the drug to be administered, said information including one of a patient's identity, the drug identity and a drug delivery profile;    checking said information to determine if said information is correct; and    administering the drug only of during said checking step said automated drug administering device determines that said information is correct.    
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6    further comprising the step of contacting a remote site and obtaining data related to said drug administration and said checking step.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 6    further comprising scanning electronically a tag associated with the patient to determine the patient identity and matching said patient identity with the information from said container.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 6    wherein said container is provided by a health providing professional having an identifying tag, further comprising scanning said identifying tag and logging an attendant information based on said identifying tag.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 6    further comprising storing an applied profile indicative of the administering of said drug to the patient.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 10    further comprising transmitting said applied profile to a remote location.  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 11    wherein said applied profile includes one of patient information, drug information, attendant information.